<nettime> J. K. Galbraith on WG convened by ex-finance minister Yanis Varoufakis

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< http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2015/07/27/professor-james-k-galbraiths-statement-on-the-ministry-of-finance-working-group-convened-by-former-finance-minister-yanis-varoufakis/ >

Professor James K. Galbraith's statement on the Ministry of Finance Working
Group convened by former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis

   Posted on July 27, 2015 by yanisv

   (scroll down for the Greek language version)

   I spent five months from early February through early July in close
   association with the Greek Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis, and was
   part of the Working Group that did contingency planning for potential
   attempts to asphyxiate the Greek government, including aggressive moves
   to force the country out of the euro. Since a great deal of public
   confusion has now arisen over this effort, the following should be
   stated:(1) At no time was the Working Group engaged in advocating exit
   or any policy choice. The job was strictly to study the operational
   issues that would arise if Greece were forced to issue scrip or if it
   were forced out of the euro.

   (2) The group operated under the axiom that the government was fully
   committed to negotiating within the euro, and took extreme precautions
   not to jeopardize that commitment by allowing any hint of our work to
   reach the outside world. There were no leaks whatever, until the
   existence of the group was disclosed by the former Finance Minister
   himself, in response to criticism that his ministry had made no
   contingency plans when it was known that forces within the Eurozone
   were planning the forced exit of Greece.

   (3) The existence of preliminary plans could not play any role in the
   Greek negotiating position, since their circulation (before there was a
   need to implement them) would have destabilized government policy.

   (4) Apart from one late, inconclusive telephone conversation between MP
   Costas Lapavitsas and myself, we had no coordination with the Left
   Platform and our Working Group's ideas had little in common with
   theirs.

   (5) Our work ended for practical purposes in early May, with a long
   memorandum outlining major issues and scenaria that we  studied.

   (6) My work in this area was unpaid and unofficial, based on my
   friendship with Yanis Varoufakis and on my respect for the cause of the
   Greek people.

   FOR THE GREEK LANGUAGE VERSION...

   ANAKOINW*SY JAMES K. GALBRAITH

   Apo' ton Febroua'rio e'w*s ti*s arxe'*s Iouli'ou sunerga'styka ek tou
   su%neggu*s 畫 ton e'llyna Upourgo' Oikono痣kw%n, k. Gia'ny Baroufa'ky,
   w*s suntonisty%*s o琦'da*s ergasi'a*s pou sxedi'aze 畫'tra e'ktakty*s
   ana'gky*s styn peri'ptwsy e'cwthen asfuktikw%n pie'sewn pro*s tyn
   kube'rnysy, su皖erila琨ano畫'nwn kai kiny%sewn pou 皖orei' na sto'xeuan
   tyn ekdi'wcy ty*s Ella'da*s apo' to eurw%. Dedo畫'nou o'ti ton
   teleutai'o kairo' e'xei dy痣ourgythei' 畫ga'ly su%gxusy w*s pro*s ti*s
   ergasi'e*s ty*s o琦'da*s 琦*s, dylw%nw ta ako'loutha:
    1. Se ka痣'a peri'ptwsy y o琦'da ergasi'a*s den pro'teine e'codo ty*s
       xw%ra*s apo' to eurw% y% opoiady%pote allagy% politiky%*s ty*s
       kube'rnysy*s. Oi ergasi'e*s 琦*s aforou%san tyn e'kdosy
       reusto'tyta*s (IOU) se eurw% y% kiny%sei*s pou e'prepe na gi'noun
       se peri'ptwsy pou ka'poioi prospathou%san na ekdiw%coun tyn xw%ra
       apo' to eurw%.
    2. Y o琦'da ergazo'tan upo' to aci'w琦 pw*s pa'gia the'sy ty*s
       kube'rnysy*s y%tan y diaprag琦'teusy ento'*s tou eurw% kai, gia
       auto' ton lo'go, la'琨ane o'le*s ti*s profula'cei*s w%ste na 稍n
       diadothei' o,tidy%pote sxetika' 畫 ti*s ergasi'e*s 琦*s. Pra'g琦ti,
       den upy%rcan diarroe'*s e'w*s o'tou o t. Upourgo'*s Oikono痣kw%n,
       畫ta' to pe'ra*s twn ergasiw%n ty*s o琦'da*s 琦*s, anakoi'nwse tyn
       u%parcy% ty*s w*s orthy% anti'drasy styn e'ntony kritiky% o'ti, tyn
       epoxy% pou duna'畫i*s ento'*s ty*s eurwzw%ny*s sxedi'azan tyn
       apopo皖y% ty*s xw%ra*s apo' to eurw%, to Upourgei'o Oikono痣kw%n
       den ekpo'nyse sxe'dio anti'drasy*s.
    3. Y u%parcy prokatarktikw%n sxedi'wn anti'drasy*s den tha 皖orou%se
       na pai'cei ro'lo sti*s diaprag琦teu%sei*s, apo' tyn stig稍% pou y
       dy發siopoi'ysy% tou*s (prin xreiastei' na efar發stou%n) tha
       apostatheropoiou%se tyn kubernytiky% politiky%.
    4. Me ecai'resy 痣a tylefwniky% 發u suno痣li'a, a'neu ousiastikou%
       periexo畫'nou, 畫 ton bouleuty% tou SURZIA k. Kw%sta Lapabi'tsa, y
       o琦'da 琦*s den ei'xe ka痣'a apolu%tw*s epafy% 畫 畫'ly ty*s
       Aristery%*s Platfo'r琦*s twn opoi'wn oi apo'qei*s apei'xan apo'
       ti*s dike'*s 琦*s
    5. Oi ergasi'e*s ty*s o琦'da*s 琦*s, ousiastika', oloklyrw%thykan
       sti*s arxe'*s Mai3ou upo' tyn 發rfy% analutikou% pori's琦to*s sto
       opoi'o anafero'琦stan se o'la ta zyty%琦ta, kai sena'ria, pou
       畫lety%sa畫.
    6. Y ergasi'a 發u sto plai'sio ty*s o琦'da*s auty%*s y%tan anepi'sy稍
       kai a痣sthi', basis畫'ny styn fili'a 發u 畫 ton k. Gia'ny
       Barooufa'ky kathw%*s kai ston sebas發' 發u gia ton agw%na tou
       ellynikou% laou%.

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